Initial Claims decreased to 470,000, for the week ending 01/23, exceeding the expected decrease to 451,000, after increasing to 478,000, the revised level for the previous week. The 4-week moving average increased to 456,250, from the previous week’s revised average of 446,750.Seasonally adjusted insured unemployment from the prior week, ending on 01/16, was 4,602,000, a decrease of 57,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 4,659,000. Seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate from the week ending on 01/16, was 3.5%, a decrease of 0.1% from previous week’s revised figure of 3.6%.
Durable Orders increased by 0.3%, $0.5 billion, during December to $167.9 billion, less than the expected 1.6% gain. This increase follows two consecutive monthly decreases including a 0.4% decrease in November. Machinery had the largest increase, by 6%, $1.4 billion, to $24.1 billion, and has been up three of the last four months. Transportation equipment, down fourteen of the last fifteen months, had the largest decrease, by 2.1%, $8.6 billion, to $408.9 billion.
Upcoming Releases
GDP-Q4 Advance (01/29 at 8:30 AM EST)
Personal Consumption Expenditures (02/01 at 8:30 AM EST)
ISM Manufacturing Index (02/01 at 10:00 AM EST)
Construction Spending (02/01 at 10:00 AM EST)
